Dark Souls II The Lost Crowns DLC Trilogy Announced

Namco Bandai has announced a trilogy of DLC they dubbed The Lost Crowns, which will start with the release of The Crown of the Sunken King on July 22, then continue with The Crown of the Old Iron King on August 26 and end with The Crown of the Ivory King on September 24. The single DLC packs will cost $9.99/€9,99 each, but you can also buy the the season pass with all three of them on Steam for $24.99/€24,99/£19.99.

Feel free to take a look at the trailer:

And here’s the customary blurb:

The Crown of the Sunken King sends players on a quest to reclaim the Crown that King Vendrick once owned. With an entirely new areas to explore within the Dark Souls II universe, players will find pyramids, underground caverns, and unknown foes. It is said that the Ancient Crown is buried deep below the surface, but surely it cannot sit unguarded?

Artorias of the Abyss was an excellent addition to Dark Souls, but also clearly benefited from the players’ post-release feedback, so it will be interesting to see how these DLC packs pan out.

Update: Here’s the full press release:

NEW CHALLENGES AWAIT AS DARK SOULS II IS BESTOWED ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS WITH THE LOST CROWNS DLC TRILOGY

Three Harrowing Chapters of Dark Souls II DLC are on the Way Starting with Crown of the Sunken King Available July 22, 2014

SAN JOSE, Calif., (June 4, 2014) Leading video game publisher and developer BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. and FromSoftware today announced the impending arrival of three new DLC chapters to the critically acclaimed Dark Soulsâ„¢ II for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC via Steam. These three new DLC chapters known as The Lost Crowns trilogy will take Dark Souls II fans through entirely original areas to face a slew of unknown enemies, overcome diabolic challenges, and take-on fearsome bosses. Crown of the Sunken King, the first chapter in this DLC trilogy, will be available in the Americas on July, 22, 2014 followed by the DLC launches of Crown of the Old Iron King on August 26, 2014 and Crown of the Ivory King on September 24, 2014. A Season Pass program will also be offered for the entire The Lost Crowns trilogy via Steam for PC players in the Americas.

Crown of the Sunken King, the first chapter in the trilogy, sends players on a journey to reclaim the crowns that Drangleic’s King Vendrick once owned. Crown of the Sunken King features an entirely different world within the Dark Souls II universe, where stepped pyramids span a vast underground cavern. It is said that one of the ancient crowns lay buried deep within these dark caverns; but surely such a valued item cannot sit unguarded. Players that seek adversity and glory will be rewarded with a crown that holds the strength of lords from times long past.

(To say we are excited to unleash these three new chapters to Dark Souls II fans is an understatement.) said Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Games is very proud of the universal praise and enjoyment fans have both given and received from Dark Souls II. The Lost Crowns trilogy and more specifically the Crown of the Sunken King will kick-off what will surely be an exciting summer of speculation and anticipation of the new battles, challenges, and triumphs to come amongst our most ardent fans.)

Dark Souls II, is the critically acclaimed and punishing sequel to 2011’s hit Dark Souls. The game has been lauded by critics and fans alike to be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in videogame history. Having earned a 92 Metacritic score for the Xbox 360 as well as 91 Metacritic scores for the PlayStation 3 system and PC versions of Dark Souls II; The Lost Crowns trilogy will present a new assortment of creatively designed challenges and organic storytelling that will give players the sense of achievement and emotional gratification the franchise has become famous for.

Rated (T) for Teen by the ESRB, Dark Souls II is available for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC. The game is available for purchase now at video game retailers and on Steam in the Americas. Each individual chapter of The Lost Crowns trilogy will be available for purchase in the Americas via the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Steam for a SRP of $9.99 USD. The Steam season pass encompassing all three chapters of The Lost Crowns trilogy will be available for a SRP of $24.99 USD.

Update: I corrected the price information to reflect the current ones. Namco originally (apparently erroneously) set the Season Pass’ European price to €19,99 on Steam, but it’s now been changed to €24,99